CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The picture of David Toms in his blue winner's jacket is just a few feet from Tiger Woods' smiling mug near the first tee at Quail Hollow Club.
The sun-drenched gallery at the Wachovia Championship knew Woods wasn't around Thursday to defend his title because of knee surgery. Many fans may have completely forgotten about the slumping 2003 champion — until Toms broke out of his missed-cut, sore-back funk with a 5-under 67 to take the first-round lead.
It was Toms' best round in, well, he couldn't remember.
"Since a long time. I don't know. I can't even think," Toms said. "It makes me feel good about my game. It gives me a little bit of confidence. It wasn't a fluke round."
Playing in the morning when the greens were still soft from the drenching rain earlier in the week, Toms made eight birdies, including a near ace at the 13th hole, to take a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson and Jason Bohn.
It was a welcome change for the 2001 PGA Championship winner, whose last victory was more than two years ago. Swinging too hard two months ago at the Match Play Championship caused a disk problem to flare up. He followed that withdrawal with two missed cuts while on pain medication, shot an 80 in the final round of the Masters, and tied for 61st at the Verizon Heritage.
Golf wasn't fun anymore for Toms as he pulled into his reserved parking spot for past champions here this week ranked 133rd on the money list and thinking about cutting back on his schedule.
"I've been out here long enough that the only time it's really fun for me is when I have a chance to win and contend in tournaments," said Toms, a 12-time tour winner. "Grinding to make the cut is too much like work. Playing well, I obviously enjoy that a lot more."
Toms was grinning Thursday when he stood apart from a stacked field that includes 18 of the world's top 25 players, even with Woods missing his first scheduled event since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Mickelson, in his first tournament since the Masters, showed off his new, longer putter in shooting a 68. Mickelson hit 12 of 14 fairways and had only 26 putts with his 35-inch model. Mickelson switched from a 33½-inch putter because he said he's grown up to an inch after starting his fitness program that includes extensive stretching.
"I haven't had as much soreness after the round in my back," Mickelson said. "I haven't had any back problems, but just muscular, sore. I think not having to bend over as much might allow me to practice a little bit easier."
Bohn, like Toms and Mickelson, had an early tee time. He made six birdies in a satisfying round as he works his way back from stress fractures in his ribs suffered last year at the Memorial.
